1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates reclining mechanisms for vehicle seating assemblies, more specifically to manually operated reclining mechanisms.
2. Background Art
Vehicle seats normally include a seat base and a seat back. Reclining mechanisms may be provided for vehicle seats that allow the seats to be positioned to accommodate different body types and the personal comfort of seat occupants. Reclining mechanisms for vehicle seats permit the seat back to pivot to allow a passenger to recline or incline the seat.
Manually operated reclining mechanisms have a locked position in which the seat back cannot pivot and an unlocked position in which the seat back can be pivoted. The mechanism is moved from a locked position to an unlocked position when a user manually operates a reclining mechanism. The mechanism is returned to a locked position after the user finishes adjusting the reclining mechanism. In the locked position, full engagement of the reclining mechanism must be assured.
Reclining mechanisms must meet or exceed performance specifications and must be simple for customers to use. The components of reclining mechanisms must be manufactured to close tolerances to assure acceptable performance. Components that do not meet tolerances requirements for components may lead to inconsistent results, unacceptable levels of scrap, and other manufacturing problems.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the above problems and other problems that are addressed by the embodiments that are summarized below.